Update on alumnus Brandon Lee

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to support moving an SF State alumnus to San Francisco from the Philippines after he was shot there and left in critical condition.

Environmental activist Brandon Lee suffered four bullets to his spine, back and face outside his home Aug. 6 in the Philippines’ Ifugao province, three years after reporting that he’d received a death threat. Lee’s friends and family — now joined by the Board of Supervisors — immediately condemned the shooting as one of at least 30 targeted attacks on environmental activists by the Philippine government.

“What happened to Brandon should not be viewed as an isolated incident,” Supervisor Matt Haney said. “It is part of a campaign of targeting people who are standing up for environmental and human rights across the Philippines.”

San Francisco’s resolution, passed at the Sept. 10 Board of Supervisors meeting, also urges federal representatives to investigate the shooting and advocate for the suspension of military aid to the Philippines until Lee’s case is resolved. But for those close to Lee, his evacuation takes priority.

After visiting Lee last month at Baguio General Hospital, Haney reported that military and police would circulate the hospital in a manner Lee’s family found threatening. He said he feared that Lee could be killed while he lies in critical condition.

“We’re running out of time,” Supervisor Gordon Mar said.

Princess Bustos, a close friend of Lee, said she hopes he will be airlifted back to the U.S. once he becomes physically stable and receives doctor clearance. While fundraising has gathered about $40,000, the trip is expected to cost between $175,000 to $200,000, she said.